By Robb Walsh November 12, 2009

Carlos de Aldecoa, "the Coffee King," is a dashing young Mexican-American with wavy black hair and a sly smile. He seems too young to be the head of the largest privately held coffee concern in America. Right now de Aldecoa is leaning so far into the coffee cup, it looks like his nose may get wet. After deep-breathing the aromas, he fills a soup spoon with coffee and slurps the liquid violently so that it makes a loud whistling sound. The idea is to spray the coffee all over your mouth to get a more accurate impression of the flavor. This kind of coffee tasting is called "cupping," and it's the ultimate test of quality in... More >>>

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Photo by Howell, Paul S.

Workers roast premium coffee beans on a fluid head roaster at Katz Coffee.